The Colorado Sun’s Erica Breunlin reports that Gov. Jared Polis plans to opt Colorado into a new federal tax credit scholarship program endorsed by President Trump. The program would route private donations to scholarship granting organizations in exchange for up to a 1,700 dollar federal tax credit for donors. Scholarships could be used by public and private school students for things like tutoring, transportation, after-school programs, technology, and in the case of private school students, tuition and uniforms. Polis called it a no brainer and a boom for investment in kids.
Critics led by Great Education Colorado urged Polis to decline, warning it sets the stage for voucher creep and pulls public money toward private schools. Polis counters that this is not a voucher, likening it to a more generous charitable deduction. Eligibility reaches families up to 300 percent of area median income, and final IRS and Treasury rules are still coming. Polis says opting in keeps Colorado dollars from flowing to other states through the same credit.
The Bullet Point Brief
- What it is: a federal tax credit of up to 1,700 dollars for donations to scholarship groups that fund students in public and private settings. Starts 2027.
- Polis position: opt in. He calls it a boom for investment in kids and says it is not a voucher, just a more generous deduction.
- Who qualifies: students across income bands, up to 300 percent of area median income, with broad allowed uses.
- The pushback: education advocates warn of voucher-like effects, inequity, and private school discrimination concerns.
- Open questions: Treasury and IRS will finalize rules. Polis must formally notify the feds by next December.
My Bottom Line
Credit where due. I actually agree with the Governor. Opting into this federal program is the right move for Colorado families. It expands opportunity without rewriting state law and it lets Colorado keep our own charitable dollars working for our kids.
I am always amused by the hand wringing over anything that smells like choice. The most powerful force fighting real choice in Colorado has always been the teachers union and its allies. They bring the big bucks and scary mailers every time someone proposes letting parents decide. Why are they so afraid of parents shopping for the best fit for their kid.
Here is my principle. Money should follow students. Parents should drive. If a school delivers excellence, families will choose it. If tuition is higher than a scholarship or voucher amount, parents make up the difference. That is called responsibility. And competition makes everyone better.
So good on Governor Polis for saying yes to a federal tool that helps families pay for tutoring, transportation, music lessons, summer enrichment, or even private school tuition if that is the right call. Let parents lead. The system should serve the student, not the other way around.
Source: The Colorado Sun
